Reserve hopper for acetylene-gas generators



Oct. 19 1926.

F. A. WEBB ET AL RESERVE HOPPER FOR AC ETYLENE GAS GENERATORS Filed April 14. 19 25 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 6 Z a 1 M m 1 z INVENTORS FI'GDALA- Wei}, a l 1- 715g, BY

ATTORNEYS EM, 5 S E N U W J za Patented Oct. 19, 1926.

U. NIT El) ST A T i I Q E FRANK A. WEBB, Qatari-Kansas CITY, AND, ran-L n, WEBB, O BBATT, ansas.-

:ansnn'vs, norms, son; seminarians-Gas annnaaroas,

Application filed April 14, 1925. Serial No; 23,161.

Our inventionrelates to improvements in acetylene gas generators, more particularly to areserve carbide supply hopper or container for a gas generator having a main carbide supply container and an automatic feed means for teedingthe carbide from the main supply container into a liquid within thegienerator, and it consists in the combina; tions, constructions and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of theinvention is to prevent a break in. the operation of" a gasgenerator of the character described by providing a re serve carbide supply container or hopper which will be filled at the time the main supply container is filled and which will hold a suflicientquantity of acetylene to assure continued operation of the generator for a considerable lengthot time after the supply of carbide in the main supply container has been exhausted.

A further object of the invention is the provisionrot' an auxiliary or reserve supply container in association with the main supplv container, the reserve supply container affording facilities permitting; of the disch arge of a part of the contents thereof directly into the liquid within the generator to render the means for actuating the automatic feed means 01 the main supply container ettecti'v the remainder of the contents of the reserve supply container being discharged into the main supply container and thence as required into the liquid in the generator,

other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which 2-- F'ieure l is a view mainly in side elevation, showing a carbide gas generator equipped with a reserve carbide supply container embodying the invention, portions of the shell ot the generator and of the main supply container being: broken away to disclose the reserve supply container, and other parts of the shell of the container and of the main supply container being shown in section;

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section through the reserve supply container, showing in elevation the feed or dump valve at the lower end thereof together with parts of the valve operatingmechanism;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical section through the reserve supply container and the associated portion of the main supply container, showing the dump valve of the reserve supply container fully closed;

Figure 4: is a view similar to Figure 3,

showing the dump valve ofthe reserve supply container in the position which it occupies when it has been 'moved approximately half way from fully closed to fully open position;

Figure 5 is aviewjsim ilar toFigur-es 3 and 4, showing the reserve supply'd ump valve in fully open position; and;

Figure 6 is a horizontal section taken along" the line 66 of Figure 8;

In carrying out the invention wemake use of an acetylene gas generator having an outer shell 1, the lower' portion of which is formed to provide a tank designated 2 which is adapted to hold water or other liquid substantially to the level indicated at 3 in Figure l or to any lower-level. A main carbide supply container is supported within the shell 1 above the level of the liquid within the tank 2. This main carbide supply container may comprise a vertically disposed hollowbody i which is closed at its upper end by a lid Band is provided at its lower end with a bottom member 6 having substantially the shape of an inverted frustuni of a cone. The bottom member 6 constitutes a hopper having a feed or main discharge opening 7 at its lower end with which a dump va-lve8 is associated, the action of the dump valve being automatic and result- 1 ing' in the feeding of a certain quantity of carbide from the main container into the liquid in the tank 2 whenever the supply of ,Q'as with-in the generator reaches a definite low level. Any'suitable knownmeans operable in response to fall ofpressure of gas within the generator to actuate the valve 8 to feed carbide into the liquid in the tank may be employed since the particular con struction tor controlling the "feeding of car-- hide from the main supply container into the liquid forms no part of the present invention.

The lid-5 oi the main carbide supply container has a filler opening 9 which is located at one side of? the vertical central line of the main supply container, this tiller opening normall.ybei.ng closed by a ca) 10 or other like closure.

The bottom member 6 or hopper of the main supply container is provided with a secondary dischargeopening 11 which is located adjacent to the juncture of the bottom member 6 with the body 1 of the main supply container. A reserve carbide supply container comprises a vertically disposed hollow body which is located within the main supply container directly above the openin; 11 and underneath at least a portion of the tiller opening 9, this body being secured to the adjacent wall of the main sup: ply container by rivets 13 or like fastening devices so that the opening 11 is located at a level not lower than that of the lowest portion of the body of the reserve supply con- 'tainer and the latter therefore tends to prevent tlow of carbide from the main supply container through the opening 11. The hollow reserve supply body is open at both its upper and lower ends and preferably is formed to be substantially rectangular in cross sectional contour, having parallel vertical side walls 12 and parallel vertical end walls 12", and 12, respectively, the latter being attached by the rivets 13 to a vertical wall of the main supply container, as here inbefore pointed out. A bal'lle or deflector within the reserve supply container com prises a plate having a width ap' ')roximately equal to the distance between the side walls 12" ot the reserve supply container, this plate being bent to provide an inclined upper por tion 1% which has an attaching portion 15 at its upper end secured by rivets 16 to the end wall 12 and a horizontal brace portion 17 which extends from the lower end of the inclined portion 14; to the end wall 12 and is merged into an attaching portion 18 which is secured to the end 12 by rivets 19. The battle or deflector member just described is located well toward the lower end of the reserve supply container. A passage indicated at 20 thus is produced between the lower end of the inclined baflle 1 1, the vertical end wall 12", and portions of the side walls 12*, this passage of course being of less area than the cross sectional area of the reserve supply container. A valve for controlling the passage of carbide from the reserve supply container is in the form of a plate which has a width slightly less than the distance between the side walls 12 and which comprises a flat outer end portion 21, and a flat inner end portion 22- whichis joined integrally to the outer end portion 21 by an enlarged portion which extends transversely of the plate. The portions 21 and 22 extend at an obtuse angle to each other and the enlarged portion 28 is formed with a bore extending trans ersely of the plate for the reception of a horizontal pivot element 2a which extends transversely of the reserve supply container below the passage 20.

ll ith this arrangement, the valve will be supported within the lower part of the reserve supply container to rock about a horizontal axis extending transversely of the reserve supply container. The end portion 22 of the valve has an integral extension 25 which extends upwardly at an obtuse angle to the portion 22 for part of its length. and then is bent rearwardly for the remainder of its length as indicated at 26. The portion of the valve will rest flatwise against the outer end wall 12 when the portion 21 ot the valve is substantially horizontal and is in contact atits extremity with the end wall 12 as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings. The valve then will constitute a bottom for the reserve supplycontainer and will pre vent granular or powdered material, such as carbide, lt'rom falling from the reserve supply container past the valve. The portion 26 of the valve is adapted to engage with the lower end of the inclined deflector when the valve has been rocked about the axis of the pivot element 24: from the position shown in b Figure 3 slightly beyond the position shown in Figure 4: and to then prevent passage of carbide irto the space between the valve and the horizontal bottom member 17 of the bal tie structure 1711. The lower outer corner position of the hollow body of the reserve supply container is beveled as indicated at 27 to rest flatwise against the inclined bottom nien'iber (3 of the main supply container in position to surround the opening 11, whereby carbide will be prevented l lOl'l'l passing from the main supply container through the opening 11, as previously stated.

The element 24 which has been termed a pivot element is in fact a rock shaft to which the enlarged portion 23 of the reserve supply container teed valve is secured. This rock shaft 21 is journaled in alined openings in the side walls 12 ot the reserve supply container and has an extended end portion to which a roclrer arm 28 is secured. A lifter rod is pivotally attached at its lower end. as at 30 to the outer end of the rocker arm 28 and extends slidably through an aperture 31 in the cover 5 of the main supply container. The litter rod 29 has the upper end portion thereof bent laterally as indicated at 32 to engage with the cover and thus to limit the downward movement of the litter rod. The laterally turned upper end li portion of the litter rod extends beyond the rim of the cover 5. An operatin member for raising the lifting rod comprises a vertical rod 33 which is disposed between the shell 1 of the generator and the body of the main supply container and is slidable vertically in vertically spaced guiding and retaining brackets 34 which are carried by the shell 1. The rod 33 is bent inwardly and upwardly at its lower end as at 35 and then extends vertically upward, as at 36 l etwcen the usual vertically movable bell 37 01'? the gcnerator and the body of the main supply container and terminates at its upper end underneath the laterally turned upper end per Lil tion of the valve lifter rod29. The shell 1 of the generator of course is formed so that,

access to the upper portion thereof may be had when desired and theupper end portion of the rod 33 therefore can be grasped and manipulated when desired tocause the upper end of the vertical member 36 to' en: gage with the laterally turned upper end portion 32 and to liftthe lifter-rodflt) upward, thus rocking the shaft 24. The bell 37 per forms no part of the present invention but isan element of the hereinbefore mentioned mechanism. for. causing the valve 8 of the main supply container to be actuated to dump aquantity of carbide intothe liquid in the tank 2 when the gas supply within the generator falls to a low level, the bel 37 then moving downwardin the shell 1 until the head thereof contacts the upper end-of a vertically movable valve operating rod 38 which is pivotally attached at its lower end to the valve 8. From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. Carbide in granular or any other suitable form is dropped through the filler opening 9 into the main supply container and since the tiller opening 9 is abovethe openupp'er end of the reserve supply container, the latter also will be filled when the main supply container has beentiilled to a level above that of the upper end ofthe reserve supply container body, as shownin Figure 1. At this time, the feed or dump-valve of the reserve supply container Willbe closed as illustrated in Figure 3 and will cooperate-with the portions of the side walls 12 which are located directly below the horizontaljwall 17' of the olstruction 17-1 l to separate agiven quantity of carbide from the remainder of the supply. of carbide within the reserve supply container. Thecarbidewithin the main sup ily container is fed by means of the valve 8 and its operating mechanisminto the liquid within the tank 2 as requiredto prevent lowering of gas supply within the container below a definite amount until the supply of carbide in the mainsupply; container is eX-- hausted. The rod then maybe grasped and manipulated to swingthe reserve supply teed valve from the position shown inF'ig ure 3 through the position shown in Figure lto the position showniii Figure It will be observcdthat. the upper end'portion26'of the reserve supply feed valve Contacts with the lower end of the incliheddeflector 14; before the opposite end portion of the valve has been swung downwardly, to the level of the upper end of the dischargeopeningll and therefore communication bet-ween the stile-cc within the reserve supply container above the inclined deflector lei and the space within the reserve supply container below the horizontal supporting member 17, and

between the latter and the reserve supply feed valve is shut off before carbide is permitted to pass from the valve through the openingll. When the reserve supply feed valve is in fully open position, as shown in Figure 5, the outer end portion thereof engages with the lower wall of the opening 11 both for the purpose of limiting the swinging movement of the reserve supply feed valve from closed position and for guiding carbide from position on the reserve supply feed valve through the opening 11. It therefore will be manifest that a certain quantity of carbide will be separated from the remainder of the carbide within the reserve supply container and will be dumped through the opening 11 directly into the liquid within the tank 2 when the reserve supply feed or dump valve is swung from closed to open position and that the remainder of the supply of carbide that was in the reserve supply container will pass between the reserve supply feed valve and the end wall 12 into the main carbide supply container. The quantity of carbide that was discharged through the opening 11 into the liquid within the tank 2 will be sufficient to cause upward, movement of the bell 87 so that the quantity of carbide which passed from the reserve supply con tainer into the main supply container will be fed from the latter as required" by means of the usual automatic feed mechanism that is provided for that purpose. It therefore will be apparent that the operator of the generator will be apprised of the condition of the supply of. carbide within the generator a considerable length of'time before the available carbide within the generator is completely used up and in ample time to enable the operator to replenish the supply of carbide for operating the generator without any interruption of the service that the generator provides.

Obviously, our invention is susceptible of embodimentin forms other than that herein described and we therefore consider as our own all such modifications and adaptations of the form ofthe device herein described as fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Vi e claim v 1. In. an acetylene gas generator, a tank adapted tohold the liquid, main carbide supply container, having a main discharge opening at its lower end through which carbide may drop into the liquid in said tank and having a secondary discharge opening located above the level of the main discharge opening, automatic means for controlling the feeding of carbide from said, main supply container through said main discharge opening, a reserve carbide supply container, and pivoted means for retaining carbide in saidreserve supply container and operable to pen it pas rge of a portion of. the contents of said reserve supply container through said. secondary discharge opening into said tank and the remainder of the contents of the reserve supply container into said main supply container.

2. In an acetylene gas generator, a main carbide supply container having a sloping bottom wall provided with a discharge opening at its lower end, said sloping wall having a secondary discharge opening at a higher level than said first named discharge opening, pivoted means for controlling, discharge of powdered or granular material from said main supply container through said first named discharge opening, a reserve supply container comprising ahollow body secured within the main supply container in position to obstruct said second named discharge opening, said reserve supply container being open at its lower end, a valve normally preventing passage of granular or powdered material from the reserve supply container through the open lower end of the latter, said valve being operable to discharge a portion of the contents of the reserve supply container through said second named discharge opening of the main supply container and the remainder of the contents of the reserve supply container into said main supply container.

3. A reserve supply container for powdered or granular carbide comprising a vertical ly disposed hollow body having par allel side walls and parallel end walls, an obstruction extending from one of said end walls intermediate the height of the body toward the other end wall and terminating short of said last named end wall of the body, said obstruction having a width equal to the distance between the side walls of the body, a valve consisting of a plate disposed fiatwisc within the body of the container below the level of said obstruction, means supporting said plate within the body of said container to rock about an axis extending transversely of said plate intermediate the length of the latter, said valve plate being movable from position to close said body below the level of the obstruction to position to permit passage of carbide past said obstruction and past said plate through the open lower end of said body.

4. A container for powdered or granular carbide, said container comprising a hollow body having parallel vertical side walls and parallel vertical end walls, a horizontal rock shaft journaled in alined openings in the lower portions of said side walls, a valve plate secured intermediate its length on said rock shaft, said valve plate being adapted to close the space within said body when said rock shaft has been rocked to one position, an inclined deflector plate secured to an end wall of said body within said con tainer. said inclined defiector plate having a Width equal. to the distance between the side walls of said body, being disposed above said valve plate, and terminating at its free end short of the second end wall of the body, and means for operating said rock shaft.

5. A container for powdered or granular carbide, said container comprising a hollow body having parallel vertical side walls and parallel vertical end walls, a horizontal rock shaft journaled in alined openings in the lower portions of said side walls, a valve plate secured intermediate its length on said rock shaft, said valve plate being adapted to close the space within said body when said rock shaft has been rocked to one position, an inclined deflector plate secured to an end wall of said body within said container, said inclined deflector plate having a width equal to the distance between the side walls of said body, being disposed above said valve plate, and terminating at its free end short of the second end wall of the body, and means for operating said rock shaft, said valve being adapted to contact at one end with the lower end of said inclined deflector plate when said rock shaft has been rocked in one direction from said certain position thereof.

6. A reserve hopper for carbide comprising a hollow body open at its upper and lower ends, a vertically swingable dump valve pivoted intermediate its ends within the lower portion of said body and adapted when closed to prevent the passage of powdered or granular material from the body through the open lower end of the latter, means for operating said dump valve, and a deflector plate extending transversely within said body above one end portion of the valve and in position to be engaged by the other end of said valve when the valve is swung from closed position to open position, whereby a definite part of the contents of said container body will be separated from the remainder of the contents of the container body and will be dumped separately through the open lower end of said container.

7. In an acetylene gas generator, an outer shell having the lower portion thereof adapted for the reception of a liquid, a main carbide supply container positioned within said shell above said liquid, said main supply container having a hopper at its lower end and having a normally closed filler opening in its top, said hopper having a secondary discharge opening adjacent to its upper end, a reserve supply container comprising a vertically disposed hollow body open at its upper and lower ends, said reserve supply container being supported within said main supply container with the open upper end thereof underneath said filler opening, and with the open lower end thereof surrounding said secondary discharge opening of said hopper, a pivoted dump valve in the lower part of said reserve sup ply container operable to dump a portion of the contentsol the reserve supply container through said secondary discharge opening and to permit the remainder t the contents of said reserve supply container to move by gravity into said main supply container.

8. In an acetylene gas generator, an outer shell having the lower portion thereof adapted for the reception of a liquid, a main carbide supply container positioned within said shell above said liquid, said main supply container having a hopper at its lower end and having a normally closed tiller opening in its top, said hopper having a secondary discharge opening adjacent to its upper end, a reserve supp-1y container comprising a vertically disposed hollow body open at its upper and lower ends, said reserve supply container being supported. within said main supply container with the open upper end th ereof underneath said tiller opening, and with the open lower end thereof surrounding said secondary discharge opening of said hopper, a pivoted dump valve in the lower part of said reserve supply container operable to dump a portion of the contents of the reserve supply container through said secondary discharge opening and to permit the re mainder ot the contents of said reserve supply container to move by gravity into said main supply container, a dump valve operating mechanism including a litter arm extending through an opening in the top of said main supply container and having a laterally extending upper end portion, and a vertically movable elongated motion transmitting element operable at the upper end of said shell to lift said litter arm upward to open said dump valve.

9. In an acetylene gas generator, a tank adapted to hold the liquid, a main carbide supply container having a main discharge opening at its lower end through which carbide may drop into the liquid in said tank, and having a secondary discharge opening located above the level of the main discharge opening, automatic means for (.ontrolling the feeding of carbide from said main supply container through said main discharge opening, a reserve carbide supply container and pivoted means for retaining carbide in said reserve supply container and operable to permit passage of a portion of the contents oi said reserve supply container through said secondary discharge opening into said tank and the remainder of the contents of the reserve supply container into said main supply container.

FRANK A. EBB. PAUL E. WEBB. 

